The invention relates to a control system for electrical storage elements of a vehicle, and in one particular embodiment, to a system for controlling power into and out of the electrical storage elements.
Large vehicles (e.g., semi-tractors, trucks, buses, etc.) are commonly used to transport people and cargo. The vehicles include various components that draw electrical power, including for example a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system for a sleeper unit in a long-distance tractor. The power for these various electrical components may be supplied by an alternator while the vehicle is in operation and by an alternative power source, such as one or more batteries, when the vehicle is not in operation.
In general, electrical energy from a power source, such as the alternator, is stored in one or more batteries of the vehicle to provide stored electrical energy for later use when other power sources are unavailable. In some vehicles, groups of auxiliary batteries are provided for supplying power to electrical components of the vehicle. These groups of auxiliary batteries are often electrically connected to the power source in a parallel relationship to one another.